MCHPMCP2221A-I/ST
Overview
The MCP2221A-I/ST is a Microchip USB 2.0-to-I2C bridge IC with configurable GPIOs. It provides a simple single-chip way to connect a USB host to I2C peripherals and to add a few general-purpose I/O lines without a separate microcontroller. The device is intended for PC-hosted control, test, and prototyping of I2C devices.
Why Choose This Part
Integrates USB-to-I2C bridging and GPIOs in a single small IC, reducing BOM and board complexity compared with using a separate MCU. It is aimed at quick PC-hosted access to I2C devices for testing, configuration, or prototyping. Microchip provides documentation and example code that speeds integration into host software.
Applications
Getting Started
Begin with the MCP2221A datasheet and Microchip application notes for wiring, USB descriptors, and register usage. Look for vendor example code and community libraries that expose the device from host languages (Python, C, etc.). For hardware prototyping, use small third-party breakout boards or a breadboard-friendly adapter so you can quickly connect I2C devices and a USB cable.
MCP2221 Family
Comparing specs that differ across variants. The current part is highlighted.
| Part Number | Package | Stock |
|---|---|---|
| MCP2221A-I/ST (this part) | — | 9,204 |
| MCP2221A-I/ML | VQFN-16 | 1,666 |
| MCP2221A (Microchip) | SOIC-14 | 9,526 |
| MCP2221A-I/P | DIP-14 | 214 |



